Starlight in the Heavens - 3. Chapter 3

Part 3 - Joshua

The sound of my cell stopped me dead in my tracks. ‘Love is Forever’ played out, bringing a smile to my lips and a stutter to my heart. Breathless, I flipped it open and sighed.

“Miss me already?”

“Every second of every day that you’re not in my arms.”

His voice was so smooth. I could feel it flowing into me, starting at the tips of my toes and fingers; it moved directly to my heart and curled itself around, wrapping me up safe and warm. Heaven. All I wanted was to close my eyes and breathe him in.

“Joshua? Are you there?”

“Yeah. Just forgot where I was for a second. What’s up? Besides my dick.”

I heard laughter on the other side of the phone. I swear that boy of mine has a funny bone a mile long. He starts giggling at the oddest of times. But I love the sound of his laugh. It makes the day bright even in the middle of a storm.

As I walked into the building, I gave a nod to the receptionist on the way to the elevator. She grinned up at me and waved. Once in the elevator, with the button for the fourth floor pushed, I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. Alex’s laughter had subsided to giggles.

“Alex?”

“Sorry Josh. I was just thinking about the look on Mona’s face seeing you with that big bulge in your pants. Then I couldn’t help but think about her name, Mooaana.”

The giggles started up again.

“Ugh, I’m gonna have to more careful what I say to you.”

I could hear him take a deep breath to force himself to regain his composure. As he blew it out, I felt myself twitch and looked down. Shit, that’s not going to be easy to hide.

“Josh, I was thinking we should have Jo over today.”

The doors to the elevator opened and I glanced about the hallway quick before stepping out. My office wasn’t far, so I made a dash to the door and slipped in before my state of mind was clear to everyonel present.

“Maybe it’s time we talked to her about what’s been going on with us.”

“Meaning?” I had to ask.

“You know. The dreams, the way she’s always on our minds, this obsession with her eyes. She’s... she’s... I don’t know what she is, but this isn’t normal.”

I could hear an uncharacteristic strain in his voice and immediately my heart began to hurt. I wanted to run from the building, get back in my car and race home to him.

“Alex, calm down. Please. If you want to have her over then we’ll have her over. Whatever you want.”

There was a long sigh on the other end.

“I’m okay Josh. I just... We’ve got to stop this, or at least find out why it’s happening.”

“I’m with you, love. Do you need me to stop for anything on the way home?”

“No. I’m gonna go across and ask Jo to come by about 1:00. You should be home by then, right?”

“I’ll make sure I am. I love you, Alex.”

“Yeah, I know. I love you too, Josh. Can’t wait ’til you’re home.”

“Me too.”

He was right. We did need to find out what was up with Jo.

My attention went to the employee files sitting in the middle of my desk and I groaned. Letting two more go, tossing them to the wind. Ain’t life grand?

Somehow I got through the next three hours without losing control and sprinting back to Alex. Once in the car, I popped in a cd and drove with half my mind wandering, remembering the day I met Alex.

***

It was a bright afternoon day on the beach. Being a weekday, it wasn’t crowded, so I didn’t have to weave around people as I ran. I was in a set pace, mind wandering in my own little world when I saw him walking through the surf, fresh from a hard swim. Sun bronzed and glistening with salt water. I stumbled as my eyes ran over his lean swimmer’s form resting on the thick outline of his cock through his swimwear. He shook the water from his hair and I felt my heart skip a beat. I stopped running, or more accurately stumbling, and watched him walk to his towel and sink down to lie on his back.

I don’t know how long I stood there staring before I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I jumped and turned to face a girl of about nineteen. She had on the red swimwear that the life guards in the area wore and sported a friendly smile.

“Quite fetching, isn’t he?”

I just stared at her until she started to laugh.

“Come on, big guy. I’ll introduce you.”

My face must have taken on a look of horror because she gently rested her hand on my arm and spoke so only I could hear her.

“Look, if I’m wrong I apologize, but from the way you were staring, my guess is that you are interested. Am I wrong?”

“Umm. No?”

“Is that a question? Don’t you know what you want?”

“No, I mean, yes. I know what I want.” What the hell was wrong with me? I’ve never had a problem connecting my thoughts before.

“Then what are you afraid of?”

My eyes went back to the spot where he still lay. I didn’t think I was afraid of him. It was just that he overwhelmed my senses. With only a look at him, I found myself feeling more than I had since the time before my brother died.

“I thought so.” She started to pull me then stopped short. “Uh oh, trouble.”

Not too far up on the beach, three big guys in suits were walking toward the object of my affections.

“They never quit.”

Letting go of my arm, she raised her hands and began to yell and point.

“Alex, take a swim.”

He sat up, glanced where she pointed and proceeded to get his legs tangled in his towel as he tried to get to his feet.

I was moving before I realized it and got to his side just as one of them reached out to grab his arm. Inserting myself between him and them, I merely shoved and they fell over each other. Domino effect.

“Not today,” I growled and picked up Alex’s towel.

They just sat there in shock. I looked up toward the railing, separating the beach from the parking area, when I heard a man’s laughter. This one wasn’t in a suit, but still seemed a little out of place for the beach. He nodded to me before looking down at the men still at my feet. After jerking his head to the side, waving them away, he turned his attention back to me.

“May I have a word?”

I glanced back at the water. Alex stood at the edge, feet in the surf, with the girl.

“Please, I won’t take much of your time. Only a minute or two.”

The guys I’d knocked down were standing up and brushing the sand from their pants. They looked over at Alex then glared at me before turning and heading back to the railing.

I waited until they were on the walkway and decided to find out what was going on. When I got to him, the fourth guy leaned on the railing and looked down at me.

“You’re quite a bull aren’t you?”

I said nothing. In my experience, silence gained you much more respect than answers.

He sighed and looked out at Alex. “We only want to talk to him. Tell him the time is drawing short for an answer. I’m staying at the Laguna Cliffs. Have him call me.” He handed me a slip of paper with a phone number on it. “It’s important that he get this taken care of.”

With that last statement, he left.

When I turned back to the ocean, Alex stood alone, facing the water. His arms were crossed at his chest and his shoulders slumped in defeat. I wanted to pull him into my arms, cradle him against my chest, and protect him from whatever the world was throwing at him.

His hair had dried into loose curls and I reached out to touch them when I walked up behind him. He flinched, but didn’t pull away.

“He said to tell you the time is drawing short for an answer and gave me a phone number for you to call.”

He nodded and gave a broken sigh.

“Your name is Alex?”

“Yeah.” He turned and looked up into my eyes. “Alex Matthews.”

I was lost. In his dark blue eyes, I saw my future, the other half of my soul. “Joshua Emery.”

Ignoring his outstretched hand, I pulled him close and met his lips in the first of many kisses to come. He was resistant for a couple seconds then melted into my embrace, parting his lips and entering my mouth with his tongue. We stood there tasting, searching, and exploring each other’s mouths, bodies pressed hard against each other. Everything around us disappeared in my mind. All there was, was him and me.

“Guys.”

I heard a soft voice at my ear.

“Guys!” My head snapped up and I took a deep breath as the world around me began to return. It was the girl. “Not here.”

She grabbed Alex’s towel from my hand and started to wrap it around his waist.

“Man, you boys are lucky it’s me here and not Allison or Rob.” She looked around as she spoke. “Family beach, Alex, family beach. Take your friend home.”

Slowly, I came back to my senses. The first thing that came to my mind was a severe ache in my groin. I was packed hard as a rock in my jock. Oh shit, that was going to make it difficult to walk. The second thing I noticed was Alex’s cock sticking up past the waist band of his speedos. I wanted to drop to my knees in that instant, but was waylaid by a tiny hand.

“Back off, mister. I’m not losing my job or letting you two get hauled off today.”

“Mandy? What? Joshua?”

Okay, so the girl’s name is Mandy. Got it.

“Oh, you’ve got it bad, Alex.” She tucked the towel in at his waist. “Maybe it should be him taking you home. I don’t think you can drive.”

She sure seemed to know Alex well. I stared at her as she ran her hands along his face.

“Alex, baby, you okay?”

Just who the hell was this girl to him? I watched him blink a couple of times, then focus in on her face and smile. That smile just about turned me into a puddle on the sand.

“It’s him, Mandy. It’s really him.”

My heart skipped again. Shit, I’ve gotta get him out of here before I keel over from coronary failure.

“Yeah, baby, I know. Now go on. Get outta here.” She started to walk away but stopped and rested her hand on my arm. “Hey.”

“Josh.”

“Josh. Now that you’ve found each other, take care of him for me, okay? He’s... a special catch. There’s no one in the world like him.”

I watched her as she walked away and thought, I bet there’s no one in the world like you either.

I felt Alex’s hand slip into mine and looked into his eyes. I’d always fought the notion of love at first sight... until that moment in time. Family beach. I took him home.

***

I pulled into the garage at 11:45 and rushed into the house, barely pausing to close the garage door. All I wanted is Alex. An all-consuming need for him burst through my flesh, my mind, my soul. I wanted to sink myself into him, blend with him. He is the other half to my soul and I needed to be one.

I was frantic when I didn’t find him in the house and found myself almost wailing, calling out for him. “Alex. Alex, where are you? Alex!”

He ran through the front door and sprinted up the stairs, into my arms and pressed his mouth to mine. I don't how the clothes came off, but come off they did. And in him I became one.